A Chat in the Oval Office

Updated June 25, 2001 12:01 a.m. ET

By Peggy Noonan, a Journal contributing editor and a columnist for OpinionJournal.

Sometimes bad luck is good luck. A few weeks ago, I'd had an appointment to interview President Bush for a book on Ronald Reagan. It was canceled due to Mr. Bush's upcoming trip to Europe, then rescheduled, and when I walked into the Oval Office last week I found a president in a talkative mood.